


WRW 2020

by DreamingParadise14



Series: White Rose Fanfics - Multichapter [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Cuddles, F/F, Forbidden Love, Love at First Sight, White Rose Week 2020, the princess and her knight, wrw 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24643354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingParadise14/pseuds/DreamingParadise14
Summary: A few of the prompts I wrote for White Rose Week 2020Love at First Sight - "I'd say it was love at first sight, but we were already in love when I was finally able to see her."
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Series: White Rose Fanfics - Multichapter [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053833
Comments: 10
Kudos: 90





	1. Love at First Sight

She’d lost her ability to see at eighteen years old.

She’d gotten into an argument with her father regarding her recently earned license and left home, taking his brand new, sleek white car out of pure spite. Due to her blind rage at the time, she cut a turn just a bit too sharply and lost control of the vehicle. She hadn’t even been two blocks away from home when the automobile spun and crashed into a sign, knocking Weiss out cold upon impact.

When she’d regained consciousness, she was able to hear the sirens close to the wreck and she’d felt warm blood trickling down her face and the glass pricking at her skin. She’d been aware that she was no longer in the front seat, but somehow having ended up at the back of the vehicle. 

The next thing she remembered was the beeping of a monitor and her sister’s voice, discussing the damage with her nurse. The words the unfamiliar woman had said rang inside of her head everyday.

_ “The occipital lobe took most of the impact, there seems to be quite a bit of damage, thankfully nothing fatal or too serious… But due to the force of the hit, it could take years for her vision to return…” _

That’s when she’d realized when she opened her eyes...

She couldn’t see a thing.

Three years later, she’d learned to live with her disability and made the most out of it. Although she missed reading, writing, watching TV, and doing other things that people took for granted, she always managed to find something to entertain her. 

A few months after she’d lost her sight, her sister purchased German Shepherd puppy to be trained as Weiss’ seeing-eye dog, Winter told her what color and gender she was. During the training, she’d become close with the dog and bonded with Myrtenaster. The canine was never far from her. About a year prior, she’d left home with Winter, who rented her a little apartment.

Weiss already learned how to take care of herself, despite being blind, and she thoroughly enjoyed her privacy. For the most part, anyway. 

There were a couple of times where she’d run short on quick-food supplies and was too afraid to use the stove even though Klein had shown her a few ways to cook without burning herself. She was blind for Gods’ sake, one slip up and she’d blow the whole place and herself up! 

So, she’d reluctantly dropped to her last resort and ordered takeout. 

That was how she’d met her girlfriend.

Weiss ordered Mexican sometime during May and when the food arrived, she’d asked the deliverer to leave it at her doorstep and slid the tip under the door. She’d waited until she heard footsteps leaving to open the door and grab the food. Just before stepping back inside, she had heard an angelic, sweet voice greet her.

Somehow finding comfort in her voice, she’d struck up a conversation with the woman. She’d been so thankful that the woman had never once mentioned that she was blind. She was sure that her new friend was just as beautiful as her voice… 

A couple months later, she’d found herself dating the woman, Ruby Rose, and six months prior, the other woman had moved in with her.

* * *

Her hands wandered aimlessly, brushing her palm across the floor to locate her stick. She knew she’d left it somewhere in this corner, propped up against what she could assume to be a nightstand. But when she’d grasped for the scanning device, her hand met nothing but air. Swallowing her pride, Weiss had descended to the carpet and crawled desperately on her knees, searching for the wooden object her girlfriend had given her to find her way around the apartment more easily. 

“Ruby!” She shouted, hoping her girlfriend would hear her and find her stick for her. She really did not feel like blindly navigating the halls and falling all over everything. Sure, her sightless stumbling gave Ruby a bit of a show, but it wasn’t fun and games when she got hurt. This was why Ruby went out and found her a ‘bumping stick’, as she’d called it. Weiss was too stubborn to use a vision-impaired cane issued by her doctor. 

Weiss’ hand found the familiar, soft wood of her stick and she pushed herself back to her feet, turning around and cautiously waving the tip around and bumping it into the leg of the bed. “Ruby!” She yelled again, “Where the fuck are you?!” Irritation swelled in her chest, wondering where her hermit girlfriend had gone to where she couldn’t hear her. 

Approaching the door, Weiss nudged it open and stepped out, scanning her surroundings for her dog, Myrtenaster. The sound of music blasting from the kitchen grabbed Weiss’ attention and she started down the hall, stepping to the side when her stick lightly bumped what she assumed to be Myrtenaster. A perplexed whine came from next to her to confirm her suspicions and she felt a gentle head nudge into her leg, Myrtenaster was attempting to safety guide her through the hall despite not having her lead on. 

“I’m okay,” Weiss said, trying to shoo her dog away, who only bumped the side of her leg. Weiss swung her stick out and the side of it collided with the edge of the wall, telling her that her path was clear. “Alright, I’m fine now, go.” She heard a huff next to her and she chuckled lightly, knowing that the shepherd was watching her anyway.

Guiding herself into the kitchen, the music was shut off and she heard the clicking of nails against the floor. She stood still as a familiar weight wrapped themselves around her legs and she reached down to run her fingers through the Malamute’s thick, wooly fur. “Hello, Crescent Rose.” She greeted as she large dog trotted away and out of the kitchen.

“Good morning!” Ruby greeted her with a chipper voice.

Sensing her girlfriend’s presence near her, she reached out to touch Ruby’s arm to ensure that the woman was right where she pictured her to be. “Hm?” Ruby hummed. Weiss fueled her irritation into her stick and swung it out to collide with Ruby’s legs. The woman yelped, she heard her doubling back. “What was that for?!” 

“You moved my stick!” Weiss scolded, “I told you not to touch it!”

“I didn’t touch it! Rose probably knocked it over.” Ruby shouted back, releasing a soft sigh, “I’m sorry I yelled…” She murmured, her hand resting on Weiss’ arm before she could whack her again. Weiss stiffened momentarily, but her body relaxed when she recognized her roommate’s touch. “This is why we need to get you an actual white cane, you don’t have to whack people to see if they’re there.”

Weiss laughed. 

“I like the stick.” She answered, waving the mentioned object and poking Ruby’s leg with it. “I can hit you without it trying to electrocute me.”

“It wouldn’t electrocute you.” Ruby hummed and gentle fingers grasped Weiss’ chin, tilting her head up slightly and a soft thumb running over her bottom lip as a silent question. A loving peck was placed to her lips, Ruby pulled away and Weiss let out a sound of frustration. “Careful, I can take that stick away just as easily as I gave it to you.”

Weiss raised her stick again and it smacked against Ruby’s knee lightly, “Bad child!” Weiss scolds, facing Ruby’s voice to point her stick accusingly at her. The tip of it was readjusted and Weiss frowned sightlessly, jabbing it and making a noise of acknowledgement when it tapped the person in front of her. “Bad child!” She repeated.

Ruby giggled, nearly sending Weiss’ heart into overdrive. If only she could see her smiling… Weiss felt a hollow feeling move through her and her grip on her stick slackened, staring in her girlfriend’s direction. Suddenly, anger rushed through her like a wave crashing violently on shore. If she hadn’t been such a fool and crashed the vehicle, she could  _ see  _ Ruby! She would know what color her eyes were, her hair, she could see her laugh and smile. 

She’d be able to  _ see  her . _

A light tug on the stick pulled Weiss closer, pulling her out of her brooding. The smell of roses and lavender embraced her as a sweet kiss was brushed across her lips. “I love you.” Ruby whispered.

Upon hearing the three words, tears stung at Weiss’ eyes and she wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend. “I can’t even see you,” she murmured regretfully, pain tearing at her heart, “how could you love me…? I don’t even know what you look like.”

Sure, she’d touched the woman enough to have painted an image in her head for her, but she’d never once had the heart to ask what she looks like, holding onto the hope that someday she’ll be able to see her. She wanted to be surprised… 

Ruby’s hands came to rest on her hips, “I love you because of how strong you are,” she whispered as Weiss leaned her body against her, letting out a soft whimper. “So many other people would have just given up… But you kept going,” she could feel Ruby smile against her forehead, placing a kiss to her hair, “you painted yourself your own world. You got back up when you were struck down and made a life of your own, despite everything that’s happened.”

An indescribable emotion struck Weiss right in the heart and she felt something wet slide down her cheek; she was crying, she pressed her face into the woman’s collarbone and unseeing blue eyes stared off into nothingness. 

“You don’t need to see me,” Ruby told her softly, “all you need to feel is my heartbeat… And know that I’m right here with you…” 

Warmth spread through Weiss’ chest as her eyes flickered closed, her spare hand coming up to tenderly touch the woman’s chin, drawing her into a teary kiss. Weiss whimpered and buried her face into her girlfriend’s neck, “I love you…” 

* * *

“And… Done.” Ruby murmured, withdrawing the red pan from the stove and setting it on the countertop. She hissed as grease popped her in the wrist and she jerked her arm back, muttering a quiet swear under her breath and using the tongs to remove the bacon from the still frying grease. “You’d better thank me for this.” She grumbled, dropping the hot bacon strips into the plate next to the eggs and sausage. 

A quiet woof came from beside her and she glanced down to see her Malamute sitting next to her, reddish brown eyes staring up at her and a copper tail flying behind the large canine. “No.” Ruby said with emphasis, “Not for Crescent Rose. For Weiss.” 

Crescent Rose huffed in disappointment and stiffly walked away with her head hanging. Ruby rolled her eyes in amusement and turned away, her eyes darting to the back of the apartment as a tiny smile crept to her lips. 

Today was her eight-month-anniversary with her girlfriend, she’d worked over her shift for the past three days and had finally earned some time off, and she was going to make sure  _nothing_ went wrong today. It had to be perfect…

Weiss didn’t deserve any less.

“What do you think, ‘Rose?” She asked the copper red Malamute as she rose up on her back legs to eye the food on the table, wearing the biggest puppy-dog face she could manage. Ruby poked the dog’s nose and giggled as she lowered back down on four paws. “C’mon, let’s wake Wei-”

An ear-piercing shriek echoed from the back of the apartment and adrenaline rushed through her. “Weiss?!” She bolted to the bedroom as quickly as her feet could carry her, flinching when she heard a crash just as she opened the door. The bedroom was dark, save for the little bit of sunlight shining in. 

Weiss sat haphazardly in the floor, the sheets all crumpled around her quivering frame and her right arm reaching back, clutching at the loose sheets. Her breaths were quick and labored, her blue eyes wide and frantically darting around the room. A broken bedside lamp lay next to her, the lightbulb shattered. “Weiss,” Ruby asked her panicked girlfriend, “are you okay?”

Weiss’ head swiveled to look in Ruby’s direction, unseeing eyes searching for the girl’s location. Ruby reached and flicked the light on, moving to approach the trembling woman. As soon as the light switched on, Weiss recoiled and her hand shot out defensively, as if the swing itself would shut the intruding light off. “W-Weiss?” Ruby quickly turned the lights off and cautiously lowered to her knees, waiting for the blind woman to retract her hand.

Slowly, Weiss’ hand withdrew from her face and pulled her knees to her chin, looking slightly more relaxed now that the room was darker. Ruby took this moment to come near her, trying not to alarm her. “Weiss,” she murmured again to let her know she was closeby, “what happened?” 

The white-haired woman’s eyes turned to her, unfocused and squinting. “R-Ruby?” She asked tentatively, reaching out to touch Ruby’s cheek. When the tips of her fingers touched her skin, Weiss lunged forward and wrapped herself around the redhead. 

“You see something,” Ruby commented, resting her hand on the small of Weiss’ back, “what is it…?” 

Weiss tensed for only a brief moment, she let out a relaxed breath. “Just… just colors.” 

Warmth spread through Ruby’s chest like a wildfire and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “But, Weiss, you can  _ see  _ something!” She exclaimed, leaning back out of Weiss’ arms, sliding her hand down the length of Weiss’ arm and down to her hand to interlock their fingers. “This is great! We need to report to-”

Weiss cut her off, “If the world is just going to be a frightening blur of bright colors, then I would much rather be blind.”

Ruby’s heart dropped and she raised Weiss’ fingers to her lips, her eyes downcast. She was serious… “I thought you’d be happy to finally have your sight back,” she muttered, her voice lacking emotions, “but if it scares you, I’ll call nurse Ivy and see what I can do…” 

* * *

Ruby’s head jerked up as the room door opened and closed, revealing a tall, lanky woman with light green hair white eyes approaching her. Ruby adjusted herself to sit properly, watching the nurse hopefully. “Can she see anything…?” 

Ivy offered her a smile, “It seems that the operation went well.” 

What operation?

“Her eyesight is returning,” Ivy continued and Ruby’s heart tightened in dread, “although it’ll never fully recover. We’ve given her some drops that will help her eyes adjust to the light, but she’ll only be able to see things up close.” Ruby let out a sigh of relief and nodded, “You can pick up the drops at the desk when you leave.”

_ ‘Drops?’  _ Ruby’s brows furrowed as Ivy walked away.  _‘What do you mean drops?’_ She shook her head and pushed the door open to enter the room, her eyes immediately finding Weiss. She took note of the strange transparent plastic-like glasses on her face, but decided not to mention them. “How’re you doing? What do you see?” She asked, announcing her presence and slowly coming to her side. Weiss didn’t respond, keeping her head turned away from Ruby and her eyes fixed on the window.

“I still see just colors, they’re a bit clearer now, though. The doctor said I’ll see a bit better when I have this taken off.” Weiss finally responded as Ruby took her seat next to her, her gaze moved from the window and went downcast, her head hanging. She finally turned towards Ruby’s voice, “I’d rather wear a blindfold than see a clouded haze of…” Weiss trailed off as gaze slowly lifted towards Ruby. Her heart skipped a few beats when soft blue eyes met hers.

She was… Looking at her. She was looking directly at her.

“Weiss?” Ruby murmured curiously, hoping blooming in her chest. Weiss’ posture immediately slackened upon recognition and visible tears formed in her eyes as awe flickered across the woman’s face. “What… What is it?” 

Weiss released a strangled noise as a teary smile came to her face. Ruby’s heartbeat picked up as her girlfriend gestured for her to come closer, she rose out of her chair and leaned over the bed next to the woman. Soft hands came up and cupped Ruby’s cheeks, caressing her skin as gentle fingers brushed over her eyelids. 

“Weiss?” 

She was pulled closer and Weiss rested her forehead against Ruby’s, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Ruby,” her voice was soft and affectionate, laced with relief and joy at the same time, “oh my Gods… It was a success... ” 

Still puzzled by the mention of drops, an operation, and whatever Weiss meant by ‘success’, her brows twitched in confusion. Deciding not to question it, Ruby let out a hum of acknowledgement, staying as still as possible as Weiss’ fingers continued to trace over the features of her face. “Those eyes are  _ captivating _ !”

Ruby chuckled lightly, “They’re not, they’re  _ silver _ .”

“Quiet, you.” Weiss scolded, “They’re captivating…” Her eyes moved up to her hair and she laughed lightly. “What color is this?” She asked playfully, “Black? Red?”

Ruby smiled in response, “Yes.”

Weiss let out a calm sigh and drew Ruby in for a sweet kiss, sending sparks of electricity coursing through Ruby’s veins as she pulled away, her eyes soft.

“You’re more beautiful than I ever could have imagined…”  **_  
_ **


	2. Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WRW Prompt - Nap Time/Cuddles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading everything early/late, I won't have access to my computer until next Thursday.

Dark, feathery wings flew quickly through the air, similar to a raven taking off in the sky. She stayed silent and watched as the shadowy figure bent her body back, plunging herself down and folding her dark wings over her as she tumbled to her descent. Those long wings spread out again just before her body collided with the ground and carried her upwards; blue eyes met with a warm pair of silver for a split second before the girl disappeared above her. 

Ruby smiled in amusement as the dark shape dove again, this time her white hair was more visible and flying like a cape behind her. “Are you finished?” She called after the dark-winged girl, giggling as she collapsed her wings around her in a barrel roll. “Okay! No, then!” Ruby laughed, hanging over the fringe to watch the white-haired lady disappear into the dim shadows beneath. She flew back as a sharp, white shading shot up close to her, almost looking like a lightning jolt. “Oomph!” 

“For what reason didn’t you tell me that your enhanced speed powers were so much fun?” A giggling voice asked, snapping Ruby out of her brief shock. She looked up to see the dark-winged girl hovering over her with her arms crossed. “Do all angels have these sorts of blessings?”

“Yes, Weiss, we do.” Ruby sighed as her girlfriend descended next to her, Weiss’ black, white-tipped wings dissolving behind her. “Powers. Back. Now.” Ruby ordered gently, smiling when Weiss stuck her tongue out at her stubbornly and placed her hand on her forehead, reluctantly allowing the blessing to seep back into Ruby’s being. 

Weiss sat down beside her, watching the angel inquisitively, waiting for her answer. Ruby rolled her eyes. “Yang has enhanced strength. Which, to me, makes her very overpowered.” She murmured, sitting back and extending her legs out in front of her, “Jaune has healing powers which are used to enhance another angel’s aura…” She noticed Weiss’ brow twitch at the mention of the name. 

Weiss let out a snort of aggravation, averting her eyes from the redheaded woman. “Obviously,” she mumbled under her breath, “I’m banished to the under realm and he gets a damn promotion.”

Ruby sighed, “Weiss,” she began softly, reaching over to delicately grasp the fallen angel’s chin, “this is exactly why you were banished. If you want a redemption, then you need to cool your temper.” A ruffling noise came from behind the woman, revealing that her wings had reformed and were twitching with annoyance.

Weiss’ blue eyes flashed with anger, “I know!” She snapped as Ruby leaned away with a quiet groan. “You need to be happy all the time over there,” Weiss grumbled, sounding irked, “Gods forbid you have a bad day!”

“Weiss,” Ruby muttered again as her girlfriend’s feathers twitched, she shifted slightly to put one arm around her comfortingly, “you cussed the professor out and called him a sleazebag.”

The woman frowned at her, cocking one brow in distaste. “No. I did not.” She said matter-of-factly, absentmindedly leaning into the angel. “I called him a-”

“I know what you called him.” Ruby interrupted, waving her hand as an attempt to silence Weiss. 

Almost a year prior, Weiss had woken up in a rather irritable mood and despite having hoped it would dampen as the day went on, it only started to fester the more she kept her mouth shut. Her excuse was that she couldn’t understand how everybody was flying around happily and working with a smile on their face, acting as though nothing bad had ever happened to them. 

The following day, she was forbidden from mentioning their previous lives as humans; they were expected to put that life behind them and focus on creating a better world for mankind. The planet came first before their own lives. The training they endured before an angel earned their wings would forever imprint on the being’s mind, persuading them that they needed to talk and act a particular way. 

Weiss had once questioned what all of their enthusiasm was for, asking exactly what they’d accomplished; she’d grown tremendously tired of the constantly lively community. 

The only response she’d received was gawking stares and murmurs of disbelief. 

That was when a professor addressed her behavior and asked if she was required to go through training again, but the way he’d said it caused Weiss to lose her temper and insult the man, claiming that she could see right through their manipulative, mind-controlling games. The much wiser angel instructed her to calm down and ordered his apprentice to restrain her- which resulted in Weiss acting upon both self-defense and rage and decking the trainee square in the nose. 

Due to the assault, with just a snap of his fingers, she’d found herself in the land of exiles, a place just between Heaven and Hell. 

Ruby had witnessed the entire thing, the interaction caused her to briefly question her own loyalty to the angel realm. 

Ruby was reeled from her thoughts when she heard a quiet, brooding noise coming from her girlfriend seated next to her. A small, lopsided smile crossed her lips and her brows creased in amusement. Ruby moved to embrace the woman, sliding her arm around Weiss’ midsection and gently drawing her in close against her body, draping her legs over Weiss’ comfortably. Weiss accepted her touch, hesitantly resting her chin on Ruby’s shoulder as soft fingers thread through her disheveled feathers. 

Weiss let out a hum of content, her body slacking against the angel. “What’s this?” She murmured quietly, closing her eyes as her irritation ebbed away upon each caress. 

“I’m calming you down,” Ruby replied as Weiss’ breaths slowly became relaxed and slow, “too much ire and the Gods’ll be able to detect that you’re here…” 

“Fuck the Gods.” Weiss hissed in response, Ruby felt sharp nails dig into her back and she craned her neck to place a sweet kiss to Weiss’ head. Her grip loosened instantly. The fallen angel let out a sigh, “It’s effective,” she finally said as Ruby’s hands came to rest on her hips, “thank you, Ruby…” 

Ruby let out a soft hum and pressed her weight against Weiss, taking the woman by surprise and readjusting her hold on her. Weiss’ eyes widened as Ruby shifted to ease them back, she made a sound of protest that went ignored by the silver-eyed angel and Weiss grunted as Ruby rested her against the ground beneath them. Giggling at her victory, Ruby tucked her head securely beneath Weiss’ chin and draped her own white, silver-tipped wings around them, allowing them to lay limp. 

Weiss snaked her arms up and wrapped around Ruby’s waist possessively, her wings resting over the angel’s body in a protective, shield-like manner. Ruby’s fingertips traced gentle circles across Weiss’ collarbone, her breath warm against the woman’s neck and sending familiar shivers racing up her spine. She focused her attention on the words her girlfriend was writing into her skin using the tips of her nails, her non-beating heart doing a backwards flip in her chest when the realization struck her.

Willing away the heat rising to her cheeks, she tilted her head back and let out a groan. “I hate you.” Weiss muttered, glaring up at the clouds that permanently separated her from the skies. “I hope you know that.” 

The redhead hummed again, rolling her eyes in disbelief. “Love you, too.” She heard Weiss’ breath hitch beneath her and she let out a giggle. Weiss’ embrace tightened around her and she felt a sweet kiss against her forehead, followed by a barely audible ‘love you’.


	3. Forbidden Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WRW prompt - Forbidden Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: EXTREME homophobia, implied physical abuse/abandonment, forced isolation, implied inhumane practices, implied emotional trauma.

February 18th. Today was the day. . . The day the Island dreaded.

After being hunted down and isolated from their families, they were locked up on an island just off the coast of the mainland. They had little food, less water, and humidity of the island prevented them from being able to feed fires for very long. Due to how inhabitable their island was, groups of people lived in one building to survive since they didn’t have enough resources to build an entire village.

The community had come up with several escape plans, but unfortunately, none were effective and numerous lives were lost. Those who participated in the escape and managed to live were taken from the island, and they could only assume that the people taken were either burned alive, beaten to death, gassed, or hung.

But, there would be no more escape plans. There wouldn’t be any more fighting for survival. The island, as far as the mainland knew, would be cleared out. They were not one of Them; they were different… They were outsiders to society treated just as they were simply dirty, frenzied creatures that required execution.

All because of who they are or who they loved. Even children were sent to the island if it were revealed that they did not suit the norms of the mainland. 

They’ve been here for six years. However, their populace never expanded, and it never decreased. People were being brought to and from the Island consistently, the mainland did a good job at ensuring that the islanders never got their hopes of survival too high by occasionally raiding the small village and slaughtering everybody who got in the way. 

These innocent people had hopes and dreams for the future, plans for a family and a life away from all of the manslaughter. But this place was not somewhere for a family to flourish… 

A list of rules for the community to follow had been issued the day the Island was founded;   
_#1 \- Anything the Baron of Remnant says goes, people foolish enough to even consider disobeying will be gravely punished in front of the entire Island._

_#2 \- Any and all supplies collected on the Island is required to be sent to the Mainland right away, leftovers unable to be sent can be used by the Island so long as the assigned Knight approves.  
#3 \- People caught attempting to break away from the island will be stoned and fed to the seas.   
#4 \- The assigned Knight of each household is permitted to punish one as they see fit, no matter the age.  
#5 \- Reproduction is strictly prohibited, any person found or revealed to have reproduced will be unfertilized and burned alive by the Baron’s orders._

Three years ago, the Island had been left in shock when the princess of Atlas, Weiss Schnee, had been escorted to the island as ordered by her father. At first, everyone was wary of her presence, convinced that she was there to spy on them, but soon came to realize that the young woman was just as much of a victim as they were.

The trio she’d been assigned to live with upon her arrival had come to learn that she’d been sent away for showing an interest in her maid, and taking her infatuation ‘a step too far’ in society’s mind. Any and all sort of affection she’d held for the other woman had vanished by the time she’d boarded the ship for the Island; after all, her maid had been the one to turn her in despite promising she would keep it a secret.

Another girl in the House, Blake Belladonna, revealed that she had been attacked and abandoned on the Island by her ex, Adam Taurus, for speaking up against society. She had the scar to prove her story true, she’d only escaped because she’d been saved by a few people belonging to the Island.

One of those people was named Yang Xiao-Long, who happened to be the third person in their household, she’d come to the Island with her little sister and their mothers, Raven Branwen and Summer Rose, and had lived here since day one. They were some of the Island’s oldest residents, unfortunately that meant that there was a long history of pain and sorrow following them.

Ruby Rose, Yang’s little sister, was the fourth and youngest person in House #13. She’d arrived when she was almost fifteen after the Government had tracked down her and Yang’s family, her first few days on the Island had been traumatic, regardless of her older sister trying to protect her from most of the place’s horrors. The day after they’d come to live here, her birth mother had been killed for disobedience before her very eyes, despite her only intention having been to protect her daughter.

The former three were responsible for making everybody who came to the Island feel at home, having made a pact to prevent people from living out their remaining days in misery and fear. If they were going to live here, they were going to make the best of it.

Ruby had assigned herself as the Welcomer, in charge of helping people become settled within the environment to the best of her ability.

Yang was in charge of training, wanting everybody to be confident in their abilities and hold their own when the Knights returned.

Blake taught the young children and anybody else how to read, giving them an escape from their reality in the form of books that were thankfully shipped from the Mainland.

Weiss had yet to find her place within the Island, but she’d discovered that she rather enjoyed accompanying Ruby on her errands, finding her optimism comforting. She could look into her eyes and see that the younger girl was hurting, but the fact that she pushed through to shed some light on someone else’s day was admirable.

Plus, Ruby was the only one who didn’t continuously treat her like the Princess that she was once. Sure, everybody else meant their light jabs as a joke, but she had to admit that it hurt being reminded of what she once had almost daily.

Ruby had treated her like  _ Weiss _ , even going as far as addressing her as her best friend.

Weiss didn’t know when, but sometime between getting to know Ruby and becoming her friend, she’d somehow developed feelings for the optimistic redhead. Seeing her smile sent butterflies flying through her chest and whenever she laughed, her heart would jump to her throat. 

At first, it’d started off as just a little crush, something Weiss had become used to during her time on the Mainland, but the more time she spent with her friend, her feelings became deeper. Not knowing exactly how to express her feelings, she’d begun leaving Ruby little surprised here and there while on one of their explorations. She’d even tried using Yang’s cookie recipe and had baked sweets for her; each batch was a total failure of course, but Ruby seemed to appreciate the thought.

After dropping countless hints and whatever gifts she could find, Weiss had finally worked up the courage to confess to the perky redhead. The only response she’d been given was a passionate kiss on the lips before Yang rudely barged in on them.

That night, she’d woken up to find Ruby climbing in bed next to her. Her excuse had been that her sister and Blake were keeping her up, but Weiss could never bring herself to firmly believe that. Especially because she could hear the blonde snoring in the other room. 

Days passed and Weiss rarely ever found herself alone, Ruby had taken it upon herself to try and return every kind of gift that Weiss had ever given her. It’d begun with waking up to see a white rose at her bedside.

The next day she’d entered the kitchen to find that Ruby made breakfast especially for her. Yang tried to grab some and was sent out of the room by Ruby swatting at her with a hand towel. Before she could begin eating, Ruby had leaned across the counter and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. Unfortunately the moment was interrupted by Yang’s teasing from the hallway.

After eating, Weiss had insisted on helping Ruby with the dishes, but fumbled with the cooking pan and ended up dropping it. When trying to clean the pieces up, she’d cut herself despite Ruby constantly trying to get her to sit down. Seeing Ruby fretting over a simple cut and doctoring the small wound as if it were critical was worth it though.

Three years passed and Ruby was still as affectionate as ever, except she was more open about it and Weiss had learned how to reciprocate without feeling ashamed of herself. If she was going to live here on the Island, she might as well just embrace it, right? That meant accepting Ruby Rose as her girlfriend- as if there was a problem there… 

As long as she had Ruby with her, she could do anything.  _They_ could accomplish absolutely anything… It didn’t matter to them that the Mainland didn’t approve of their relationship, just so long as none of the Knights see public affection. 

Four weeks ago, they’d received a notice claiming that the entire island was scheduled to be wiped out to make room for the incoming prisoners. The security on the Island had become tighter and more strict, they were almost never out of sight of prying, judgemental eyes. Despite this, a small group of people had devised a plan to escape just as the attack began.

They would use the chaos as a cover and sneak away, put distance between themselves and the Island with a fisherman’s boat; they’d be safe in Sanus, they could start their whole lives over again there. 

Everything would be alright… 

“ _ Weiss _ ! Get up!”

Weiss’ head jerked up at the sound of her girlfriend’s shrill voice reverberating through her head. A dull gunshot echoed from outside of the cabin and she just barely caught sight of Ruby racing into the room, her silver eyes wide and panicked. “Wha-what’s going on?” Weiss asked, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she sat up quickly, toppling off the bed due to being cocooned in the blankets.

Ruby knelt down beside her, her body trembling and her fingers shaking as she pulled the sheets out from around the former Princess. “They’re here.” She whispered in a forcibly calm voice, the dread in her eyes didn’t help much to soothe Weiss. “Come on, the others are waiting for us…” Ruby’s voice quivered, Weiss scrambled to her feet. “You go on out, I’ll set fire to the place.”

She stopped.

Weiss’ eyes widened in disbelief. Oh she couldn’t be serious... “Uh, excuse me? What?” She spun around and grabbed her girlfriend’s forearm, pulling her close. “I am  _ not  _ leaving without you. It’s either we escape together, or we don’t escape at all.”

Ruby offered her a pained smile and leaned in, encircling one arm around Weiss’ waist and tenderly resting her forehead against Weiss’ in total silence. A moment passed and the two cherished the as of right now tranquil silence surrounding them, knowing that in only a few minutes that their home would be up in flames. 

“I love you…” Ruby muttered faintly, yet endearingly. “I hope you know that…” 

Weiss let out a sigh, “Why do I feel like you’re going to do something insanely foolish, but somehow heroic?”

Ruby giggled and pressed an affectionate kiss to Weiss’ lips, “You know me. I have to be stupidly heroic.” She murmured, her hand coming around to rest on Weiss’ hip. “Now go, I’ll be right behind you…”

The older girl stood firm and narrowed her brows challengingly. “Promise me, Ruby.” She said carefully, never releasing her grip on Ruby’s arm. “Promise me that you’ll be safe.” 

The silver-eyed woman sighed quietly, chuckling. “I promise.”

* * *

She had to be coming… She’d promised her…

Weiss stared at the smoke in the distance, having long tuned out the sound of ear shattering screams and gunshots firing. Her eyes fixed in the direction of their home, her gut twisting and her heart tightening when she saw flame rise up into the air. 

Ruby should be here by now. She should’ve already led the Mainlanders onto a false trail and returned to her.  _ ‘Ruby, please…’  _ Weiss clutched her scarf securely and carefully started for the hill, limply dragging her boots through the soft sand and abandoning the group behind her. She could hear Yang calling for her to come back, but she was only a pesky voice inside of her head.

She had to come back… She couldn’t lose her. “Weiss!” A hand grabbed her wrist before she could climb up the crevice. “Come on, we need to go! Now!”

_ ‘Leave?’  _

Weiss’ heart clenched inside of her chest and she pulled her arm back to her side, she stiffly turned to face the person behind her. Dull, hollow blue eyes met with a pair of guarded lilac. “I can’t… She’s not here…” 

“Weiss…” The older blonde sighed, her expression turning into grief. “I promised Ruby that I would protect you if anything happened to her. I  _ am not  _ breaking the last promise my sister and I made.” She trailed off, her voice becoming hard and firm as her brows narrowed.

Weiss glared back at Yang, her fingernails digging into her palms as her fists clenched; Ruby had also made a promise to  _ her _ . “She promised me that she would come back.” Her heart felt heavy with grief, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes as the possible realization that Ruby had died slowly dawned upon her. “I love her… I can’t-”, Weiss’ voice cracked and she trailed off with a heartbroken whine, “I need her…” 

She couldn’t leave without her…    
Death be damned.

“Aw, I’m flattered.” That voice… 

Yang’s eyes jerked upwards and a tiny smile crept onto her lips, she placed her hand back on Weiss’ shoulder to spin her around. Weiss’ breath hitched, seeing Ruby approaching them. She was alive… She was okay… “Ruby!”

“You really need to have more faith in her,” Yang chuckled as Weiss’ eyes met with a warm pair of silver. Her heart tightened upon seeing her girlfriend’s battered state. “You two get on the boat before they notice we’re gone, I’ll grab the first aid kit.”

Ruby offered a thankful smile to her older sister as she approached, “Don’t think I didn’t notice you were going to leave without me.” She pointed out, sounding a bit breathless. She glanced back to Weiss and extended her hand, “Well, are you coming?”

Weiss carefully placed her hand in Ruby’s, thanking the Gods that she’d come back alive. “Always.”


	4. The Princess and Her Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WRW Prompt - The Princess and Her Knight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early upload!

“Sir, we haven’t been able to locate the Princess.” The guard announced, maintaining a strategic distance from eye to eye connection with the furious King. “The horse tracks lead to the edge of Elwind Forest and disappear without a trace. I have my best scouts on the m-”

A hand slammed down on the table and the objects on the surface bounced, a few of them sliding off by the force of the impact. The tall man rose to his full height, towering over the guard standing at the entrance of his throne room. 

“Forget the damned princess,” the King said with a chilly, unforgiving growl, “if she is so foolish to believe that she can endure the cruel winter of Solitas, then so be it! Any day now she’ll be slithering back,  _ begging  _ to be accepted back into the royal family.” A sneer shaped across King Jacques’ face, “And when she does,  _ kill  _ her.”

“B-but sir!” The guard stammered, gripping his cap close and battling not to lose his self-control, "She is just eighteen years of age!What if Remnant learns that-”

“Silence!” The King hollered, “Remnant will be informed that the princess foolishly fled, and her life was lost to the unforgiving weather,” a practiced, sympathetic expression crossed his narrow features, “and afterward we will all grieve the loss of our cherished Princess, yet life must go on, so her dearest brother will be declared Crown Prince.”

The guard bowed his head, compelling himself not to show emotion. “Of course, Your Majesty. . .” He replied obediently, “I will alert you if Princess Weiss shows up. . .”

“Very good.” The King’s brows narrowed, “bring her to me when she decides to return home.”

“Of course, My King. . .”

* * *

_ “Listen to me, Weiss.” _

She slapped the reins of her horse, urging her to gallop faster.

_ “There are two princes lined up for you. . . One of which you will wed when you turn nineteen.” _

She pulled her scarf around her neck with one hand, fixing it and raising it to shield her face from the brutal, cold breeze stinging her uncovered skin.

_ “Father, you said that I could train-” _

She was almost there, she was about to cross the border between Solitas and Sanus. Squinting her eyes, she saw the ravine just ahead and she pushed her horse harder.  _ ‘I’m coming.’  _ She had to get to Eastern Vale, she couldn’t be late. . . She would lose everything. . .

_ “Quiet, child! That was a stupid dream of yours that I permitted you to pursue, I had trusted that you would come to your senses, but you remain as blind as ever. Now, I have chosen Prince Henry of Mantle for you to marry. A union to him would do wonders for Atlas, perhaps it could even encourage that wreck of a Kingdom to grow.” _

Behind her, the kingdom of Atlas grew smaller and smaller, practically resembling a twisted mountain through the seething snowstorm.. She was cold. . . But she pressed on, she knew what was waiting for her in Sanus, or more specifically, she knew  _ who  _ was waiting for her arrival.

_ “Next is Prince Persimmon, Crown Prince of Vacuo, he is four years older than you, but an alliance between our two Kingdoms would be useful for our reputation.”  _

The love of her life was waiting for her, she had to get to her before it was too late. She didn’t care what she had to do. . . She loved her, she would do anything for her.

_ “I want to marry Ruby, Father.” _

_ “Ah, the Sanus Princess. . .” _

Six years prior, Weiss had met a young princess by the name of Ruby while visiting the Kingdom of Eastern Sanus. She was the first to fully understand and support Weiss wanting to become a  _ warrior _ instead of a pretty pampered princess; and coincidentally, Ruby was a warrior as well.

Ruby trained her, picking up where Weiss’ sister, Winter, had left off and teaching Weiss numerous new battle tactics she’d learned from her Uncle. She’d even taught her how to ride a horse!

When asked why she refused to become a knight or a warrior like her Uncle, Ruby’s only response is that she had an obligation to her Kingdom. She wanted to help people, and if she left Eastern Vale without a ruler, she would be leaving her Kingdom to perish. Of course, her father would understand if she left, but she was persistent. 

Weiss was inclined to agree. She had always dreamed of becoming a knight like her grandfather before her, but her own father disagreed with her decision and chose her as his heir. Although, Weiss always knew that he was waiting for her to slip up so that he could assign her brother as Crown Prince.

_ “Y-Yes. . . That would be good for the Kingdom too, it would heal a broken bond. . .” _

_ “It would, but you see, Weiss, there are two issues with your decision. . . One being the fact that two women cannot produce an heir for a Kingdom, and the second being that your dear  _ Princess  _ is due to be married any day now, didn’t you hear?” _

Barely two years had passed when Weiss had learned that she’d fallen in love with the redheaded princess. Weiss visited her as much as she could before war broke out, preventing the two princesses from meeting up. Despite the war between their kingdoms, they found a way to keep seeing each other in secret. One year ago, the war had come to an end, leaving room for them to heal and grow from the event.

At some point, her Princess had stopped contacting her all together. Weiss hadn’t thought anything of it at first, thinking maybe her love had just gotten too busy to send her a letter. But, that wasn’t the case. . .

_ “. . . What?” _

_ “She’s uniting Eastern and Western Sanus with her marriage to Prince Jaune.” _

She was marrying the youngest son of Western Vale, Prince Jaune. His sisters were all married off to captain-of-the-guards, dukes, and one had left her life of royalty behind to create a life with another woman. 

Ruby had told Weiss about Jaune, saying that he was in love with the warrior-princess Pyrrha from Argus, but was never brave enough to confess to her.

This useless, pathetic excuse for a Prince was marrying  _ her _ Ruby. 

A surge of hatred coursed through Weiss’ body and she kicked her heel against her silver horse’s side, nearing the ravine and leaning forward on the mare. “Jump, girl, jump!” She instructed, reclining with her hands tight on the reins as the horse soared over the ravine. Upon landing, the woman patted the horse’s neck. 

“Good girl, Myrtenaster! Now let’s go get Ruby!”

* * *

She could do this. . . She had to do this. . .

By Valerian law, a princess was to be engaged or married at the age of seventeen. Most of their spouses were in their early twenties, but Ruby was fortunate enough to have chosen her future spouse. 

Although her heart yearned for someone else, the dowry had already been placed and the wedding would take place any day now.

Her marriage would unite Eastern and Western Sanus for the first time in two decades, she couldn’t just drop out of it at the last second. It'd been an agonizing choice for them to make, yet she and Jaune were sick of the steady, apparently endless clash between the two Kingdoms. The best way to fix that was to set their loves behind them and anticipate the fate of Vale. 

It’d hurt. . . Once she and her friend had decided on the agreement, they’d cut off all contact with the person belonging to their hearts without a word. Pyrrha had grown concerned and visited them, she’d seemed heartbroken when informed of the engagement, nevertheless she was thankful they were wanting to help the citizens of Sanus, Vale.

At first, she’d selected to mend the broken bond between Solitas and Sanus, only to turn to her own Kingdom and choose Western Vale. 

But Weiss. . .? As much as she told herself that King Jacques wouldn’t permit his daughter to contact Ruby, a small voice in the back of her head repeatedly told her that the white-haired princess  _ didn’t care _ . 

It’d torn her apart, but the best way to relinquish her love was to let go of her. She hadn't got an opportunity to show her exactly how much she’d meant to her. . . Words hadn’t been enough.

“Are you ready for tonight Your Highness?”

Ruby lifted her head, silver eyes gazing back at her from her appearance in the mirror. “Yeah.” She murmured with a constrained smile, turning to a young blonde standing at the entrance to her chambers. “Vale will finally come together as one Kingdom again, just as my mother always wished. . . It’s fantastic.” 

She lowered her head.  _ ‘It’s great. . . But Weiss isn’t here. . .’ _

“You may leave,” Ruby whispered to her handmaiden, watching as the woman turned and left the room. Once the giant door closed, the redhead turned back to her mirror and she felt another surge of pain roll through her. “Weiss. . .” Her eyes landed on the silver and white pendant dangling from her neck, she came up and grasped it with one hand. 

Weiss had given it to her once she’d turned fourteen, informing it that it would keep her safe at all times. 

_ “And the engraving on the side. . . Well. . .”  _

_ “What does it mean?” _

She remembered the soft, affectionate smile the older girl had worn when she'd given it to her. Her heart had melted right then and there. . . 

_ “It means. . . I love you, in Atlesian.” _

Ruby reached up and turned the pendant over to look at the engraving, her heart skipping a beat once she caught sight of her girlfriend's beautiful handwriting. She gripped the silver pendant tight, tears stinging at the edges of her eyes. 

“I love you.” She murmured softly, pulling the chain away from her neck, wavering when it fixed. She had to remove it. . . Break the chain. . . She couldn't hold onto Weiss anymore. 

“It's for the citizens of Vale. I have to do this. . .”

She had to let go of her. She had to push all of those memories out of her head. . . She had to forget them all; running into Weiss when they were young and completely ruining her new dress, meeting up with her again a few months later and discovering that they both shared a common interest for weapons and stories about legendary warriors, and coming to the realization that the two of them dreamt of training as a warrior.

_ “Are you sure you should be holding a weapon like that?” _

_ “This isn't about me. You want to keep training too, right?” _

She had to forget teaching Weiss how to use her sword, how she'd fumbled with it due to being out of practice and how she’d been so embarrassed with herself. When it happened, Ruby had only thought it was amusing. Looking back, she found the situation rather cute.

Ruby released a small, tearful laugh, remembering how troublesome fifteen-year old Weiss had been when Ruby decided to teach her how to ride a horse. She’d been so insistent on not setting foot within the stables, claiming that horses were fleabitten wild animals. Within two months, she and Weiss had been breaking away from the castle, away from their guards, and soaring with the wind, riding all the way up to Halflare Mountain. 

That had been the last year she'd spent with Weiss before war broke out between Sanus, Vale and Solitas, Atlas. 

After that, they kept in contact using letters and eventually upgraded to meeting at the border. They'd used the ravine for shelter, thankful for the cave that provided them with a place to hide. At the time they met up, Ruby was supposed to be with her personal guard and Weiss was expected to be studying in her chambers. Ruby gave her guard the slip and Weiss snuck out using the window.

_ “He almost caught me this time! Did anybody follow you?” _

_ “No, Ruby, we're safe.” _

The ravine. . . 

It was where Ruby had confessed she'd fallen in love with the older princess.

She had taken a tremendous leap that day... At first, Weiss was a little concerned about the fact that Ruby was only fourteen, which Ruby remembered finding very unusual. She’d learned that the youngest age for pursuing relationships in her Kingdom was sixteen, while accepted as long as both individuals were beyond puberty in Vale.

Weiss eventually lightened up after Ruby convinced her to enjoy their youth while they had it. Before they knew it, they would be trapped in a loveless marriage. That did make their meetings a little more risky on Weiss’ side, but that only added to the thrill of sneaking around.

Soon after Ruby had turned sixteen, she received a letter from Weiss asking her to meet her at the cave before nightfall for her belated birthday present. At that time, she’d been permitted three hours of privacy, without her guard, by her father and used it to meet up with Weiss. She’d been greeted with a very passionate kiss, and everything afterwards was happy, hazy blur.

Ruby reeled herself back to reality, reaching up to wipe the tears staining her cheeks. She would give anything to hear her love's voice again, but it was time to put the past behind her. 

“Ma’am?” Ruby looked over her shoulder to see her maid standing at her door again, “The ceremony is starting.”

_ ‘Already?’  _ She fixed her eyes on the window, her body going rigid when she noticed it’d reached dusk. She’d forgotten, the evenings were shorter during the cold seasons… 

“Okay…” Ruby forced a small smile and quickly checked her reflection in the mirror, her heart dropped after observing the snow white dress she was wearing. Her hands slowly moved up to grasp her pendant again, “Okay…” She murmured again, pulling at the chain-

_ “I love you.” Weiss whispered, pulling her knees to her chest to hide her blush. _

Her hand dropped and a cold wave of regret washed through her. 

_ “Aww, do you really?” Ruby snickered, giving her girlfriend a slight push on the shoulder. “How sweet, the Ice Princess does have a heart.” _

Her heart rate picked up as well as it plummeted, she felt tears stinging at the corners of her eyes.

_ “Ruby, I am not kidding.” Weiss raised her head, her blue eyes filled with both dread and affection. “I love you, I truly love you…” She reached out to take her hand, interlocking their fingers. “I do not want to lose you…”  _

She couldn’t- she couldn’t do it… 

She loved her. 

“I can’t do it…” Ruby choked out as her chest tightened, tears brimming in her eyes. Her maid appeared at her side, attempting to place her hand on Ruby’s shoulder and sighing when the brunette moved away. “I can’t let her go…” She backed up against her desk behind her and gripped it tightly, preparing herself for her next words.

Ruby concentrated on her maid, rising to her full height and moving toward her. “I have to leave.” She said with a firm voice, “I cannot stay here…” 

The hazel-eyed woman looked taken aback, a look of mortification crossed her face. “Dear, it is only the wedding nerves talking. You have to marry Prince-”

Ruby cut her off abruptly, “I am not required to do  _ anything _ , it was my decision to arrange the betrothal in the first place. I can cancel it if I please, the Arc dynasty has always been understanding folk.” She strutted out the door, “Besides, now that the agreement has been broken, Jaune can reunite with the Argus warrior, and I will be able to restore the balance between Solitas and Sanus.”

Once she was out the door, Ruby paused in her steps.  _ ‘Did I just talk like Weiss?’  _ She shook her head, grimacing.  _ ‘Gross.’  _

* * *

She could see the castle in the distance. She was so close… 

Her heart tightened when she heard the bell sound off and Weiss slapped her horse’s reins, urging the mare to gallop as fast as she could. She couldn’t be late, she couldn’t lose her… “Come on,” she murmured to Myrtenaster, who snorted in response, working her hooves hard, “you can do it, girl… We’re almost there.” 

Weiss lifted her head to look at the nearing castle, squinting through the harsh, snowy winds and down at the seemingly overcrowded stables. The audience had already arrived, which meant that the wedding would take place in only a few minutes. She wasn’t close enough, not yet. 

“Don’t do it, don’t do it.” Myrtenaster began her descent, racing towards the brick castle as fast as the raging blizzard would allow her. The horse was cold, Weiss knew she was, which was why she needed to get to the castle, and quick. She should’ve brought a horse with a thicker coat, but then again Myrtenaster was one of the fastest royal horses she owned. 

The winds died down as she approached the kingdom’s dates now that they were partially sheltered-

The gates were shut, locked. How was she going to get in…? “We’ll need to bust them down.” She whispered to herself, praying the gatekeepers wouldn’t see her through the harsh winds. Weiss pulled her mask down and leaned towards the panting mare, she gave her reins a gentle tug upwards and the horse grunted in understanding. “Come on, land a hit right on the lock...”

Just before Myrtenaster could rear up, a loud horn erupted above them and shock rolled through Weiss’ body. They’d spotted her. No! Of course, she could pretend that she’d been invited, but they were probably well informed of who was on the guest list. Nobody from Solitas had been invited… 

“The Princess has escaped!” 

The Princess? Ruby? Weiss’ brows furrowed as her horse turned away, her ears flickering and her breaths quick. Where would Ruby have even gone had she really escaped? There wasn’t anywhere-

The ravine. Their promise to meet at the ravine if something went wrong, she’d gone there to wait out the storm and head towards Solitas in the morning.  _ ‘You little shit, I was just there. You couldn’t have given me a sign?’ _ Despite the slight irritation she felt, a tiny smile crept up the woman’s face and she gave her horse a kick, “She’s at the ravine, go!”

The guards shouldn’t be able to see Weiss through the snow, and there was less of a chance they’d follow her tracks as they were very quickly covered up. 

Myrtenaster broke into a run again, heading straight towards the ravine. Behind them, Weiss could hear the gate opening and she pulled her scarf up to cover her nose. She looked over her shoulder, squinting as an attempt to see the men coming after them. She couldn’t see anything but snow. That was good, they’d have difficulty finding her. 

She tilted herself back as the mare ascended one of the snowy hills, Weiss could see the dip of the ravine just a head, not far from the castle. She felt a light pull at her chest and she instantly knew that Ruby had already hidden herself away in the cave, but how she got there would remain a mystery. 

“Just inside the cave,” Weiss said to her horse as the ravine grew closer, “slow down,” she gave the reins a tug and the mare slowed down, easing her way through the thick ankle-deep snow. Myrtenaster already knew where the descent into the ravine was as it lead straight towards the cave on both sides. It was tucked away and steep enough that people would never guess that the princesses were down here. 

Weiss’ head jerked up as Myrtenaster started down the pathway, she could hear the light grunting sound of another horse in the wind. Somehow, now that she was further down, the wind wasn’t as strong. She could  _ see _ the entrance of their cave. She could feel her own horse heaving in exhaustion below her, snorting out breaths as she struggled to stay focused on the narrow path. Weiss leaned down and whispered something to the horse, whose ears flickered in acknowledgement and she broke into a quiet, slow trot. 

Weiss saw something orange flicker from inside the cave and a warm feeling rushed through her; a fire, Ruby had made a fire to keep the cave warm.  _ ‘Smart.’  _

Myrtenaster turned inside of the cave and Weiss pulled her scarf down, releasing a soft sigh as the warm heat struck her. She carefully slid off of her horse, her blue eyes instantly meeting with a curious, questioning pair of silver before recognition flashed through them. “Weiss,” Ruby murmured, standing to her feet as Myrtenaster approached a chestnut red mare, “what are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask the same thing,” Weiss answered, coming to Ruby’s side, lifting her cold, frigid hands over the fire, “you ran away?” 

It was an awkward moment, neither girl had seen each other for quite a while. They weren’t sure how to act anymore… Would Ruby regret running away? Weiss knew she couldn’t return to her own Kingdom, would the same be said about Ruby? She’d been so set on wanting to save Sanus, and she threw all that away… For what? For her?

“I did.” Ruby muttered, taking a seat next to her. Weiss sat down. “I didn’t want to marry him… I love you…” Weiss waited, a tiny smile on her face. Ruby wanted  _ her _ , she’d tossed everything away for  _ her _ . But, there was something more on the redhead’s mind. “Something has to be done about the Sanus war. It’s destroying us… The same goes for Solitas and Sanus, everything’s just… So messed up.” She bit her lip, “I want to save my Kingdom, but I don’t want to have to cut ties with… With you just to do so.” 

“Well,” Weiss started, grabbing Ruby’s attention, deciding that it would be best to take her mind off of everything for the moment, “for right now, let’s just enjoy this…” She hadn’t seen her in forever… Was it wrong to want some affection. She carefully lifted her arm to wrap it around Ruby, who instantly melted into her touch and cuddled against her, sending Weiss’ heart into overdrive. “We can figure out what to do in the morning, alright?”

“Yeah,” Ruby murmured, tucking her arms around Weiss’ waist comfortably, “alright.”

Everything else could wait until morning. For right now, they only had each other, and right now… That’s all that mattered. 

**Author's Note:**

> Winter: Weiss, I see you finally have a phone. Care if I look at it?  
> Weiss: Sure.  
> Winter: Tell me something, why are your background and lockscreen pictures both of Ruby?  
> Weiss, tearing up: She's so beautiful. 
> 
> How did Weiss regain her sight?  
> Well, she finally went in for the surgery that she was stubbornly putting off for the past three years while Ruby was away at work. Winter drove her up and brought her back, and Weiss took the bandages off before going to bed. So when she woke up the next morning, she could see color and it startled her.  
> Why does Ruby not know?  
> Weiss wanted it to be a surprise and wasn't sure whether or not the surgery would work.
> 
> I didn't write all the prompts to WRW, but I wrote a few that I'll share.


End file.
